US Sanctions Iranian, Chinese Entities Involved in Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles Development

A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the U.S. Treasury building in Washington on Jan. 20, 2023. Kevin Lamarque/File Photo/Reuters

The U.S. Treasury Department on May 14 sanctioned six persons and 12 entities for their involvement in the Iranian regime’s missile program, including groups that are needed by Iran to build its own intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“The United States cannot allow Iran to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stated, adding that the development “represents an unacceptable threat to the United States and the stability of the region.”

The May 14 sanctions are pursuant to a February presidential memo that orders agencies to deny Iran nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles and a 2005 executive order to block weapons of mass destruction. The United States in 2017 determined that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliates are engaging in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

President Donald Trump has said he wants a nuclear deal with Iran that will ensure it cannot develop nuclear weapons.

Iran “must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Trump said at a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting on May 14, during his three-day trip to the Middle East. “They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

The United States and Iran agreed to additional negotiations after a fourth round of talks on May 11, and European and Iranian officials will meet too for nuclear talks on May 16.

Carbon Fiber Materials

The 18 individuals and groups sanctioned on May 14 support the IRGC’s development of carbon fiber materials needed to manufacture intercontinental ballistic missiles.

According to the Treasury Department, the newly sanctioned Chinese entities have been supplying carbon fiber and precursors to Iranian groups since the beginning of 2024.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles are long-range missiles, categorized as more than 3,500 miles, making them capable of targeting any destination in the world.

Iran-based Advanced Fiber Development Company and board member Mohammad Rezai were sanctioned for their work supplying carbon fiber to the IRGC. Both have ties to entities that have already been sanctioned for providing support to the IRGC.

Iranian company Sarmand Sazeh and China-based Shanghai Tanchain New Material Technology Co., along with three Chinese executives, were sanctioned for shipping carbon fiber to sanctioned Iranian entities.

Five Chinese materials companies with ties to Shanghai Tanchain were also sanctioned, including one that exported missile-applicable aramid fibers to Iranian groups. A separate Chinese company, Qingdao Premier Technology Co., was also sanctioned for sending multiple shipments to the IRGC.

Iran has seen multiple rounds of sanctions since Trump’s “maximum pressure” memo in February.

In addition to sanctions that deal directly with Iran’s missile efforts, many target the networks that enable the sale of Iranian oil to China—the world’s largest buyer of Iranian oil. The sanctions aim at cutting off funding to Iranian regime-backed terrorist activities.